Meet Mark

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Sisson. I’m 63 years young. I live and work in Malibu, California. In a past life I was a professional marathoner and triathlete. Now my life goal is to help 100 million people get healthy. I started this blog in 2006 to empower people to take full responsibility for their own health and enjoyment of life by investigating, discussing, and critically rethinking everything we’ve assumed to be true about health and wellness...

Is It Primal? – Sprouts, Agave Nectar, Tapioca and Other Foods Scrutinized

Since it seems to be popular with this crowd, and we’re never running out of questionable foods, I figured I’d take the time to put together another round of “Is It Primal?” I got most of these choices from the comment sections of previous posts, along with follow-up emails. As always, feel free to fill in the blanks after the post. I have a strong feeling this will become a recurring series of posts, and I’m going to need plenty of material. Today, we’re talking about seven foods: sprouts of all kinds and origins; agave nectar, nectar of the metabolic syndrome gods; soy lecithin; coconut aminos, what hipsters have moved onto from tamari; tapioca, gummy starch; animal skin, food of the gods; and Quorn, “food.”

Let’s go:

Sprouts

Sprouts are a bit like sprites, in that they’re all over the place, agile, and difficult to get a bead on. Whether it’s pro-sprout or anti-sprout, solid data is tough to pin down. For one, “sprouts” is an incredibly non-specific term. Sprouts can come from legumes, grains, vegetables, and nuts. In other words, if it’s got a seed, you can get a sprout from it. And so you can’t look up the nutritional data for “sprouts,” because that would be like looking up the nutritional data for “meat.” It could be almost anything.

What we need to analyze, then, is the sprouting process. Does it do anything bad? Good? Is it neutral?

Sprouting tends to convert some of a seed’s sugar into vitamin C (to act as an antioxidant for the plant). That’s good. We no longer make vitamin C ourselves, so we need an exogenous source. Not a lot, but some.

If you’re making your own, note that antioxidant levels wax and wane throughout the sprouting process, at least in broccoli sprouts. Sulforaphane, the potent antioxidant responsible for many of broccoli’s benefits, declines upon germination, then increases slowly until hitting its high point at 48 hours post-germination, after which it declines. But don’t worry; glucoraphanin, which converts into sulforaphane, increases during the first 12 hours, sharply drops, then rises again, reaching the highest levels at 72 hours post-germination. Of course, glucoraphanin requires the enzyme myrosinase for conversion, but broccoli sprouts are particularly high in myrosinase, so you’re ending up with plenty of sulforaphane either way.

I see no reason why sprouted celery seeds, broccoli seeds, radish seeds, or lettuce seeds wouldn’t be perfectly Primal. Lentil, oat, or bean sprouts? Probably not technically, although even those would be far less problematic (bean sprouts go great with spicy Thai food on a hot day). Just be aware that they have been linked to international E. coli and salmonella outbreaks, probably due to the warm, moist growing conditions required for sprouts.

Verdict: Primal, depending on the starter seed.

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is a favorite whipping child of the Primal set, but we should substantiate our claims, don’t you think? We need to justify those welts, especially since a few of you guys were wondering (hoping?) about its place in the Primal Blueprint.

Agave nectar is insanely high in fructose. Of the sugar present, up to 92% of it is pure, unadulterated fructose. That’s considerably more than table sugar, most honey, and even high-fructose corn syrup. If we want to avoid fructose, agave nectar must also be avoided.

However, the recent honey post shows that not all sugar behaves the same. Honey – a “natural product” – contains a wide range of bee-based phenolic compounds that appear to render its sugar content less harmful than, say, a dose of HFCS with the same amount of fructose. Since agave nectar is also “natural” (it’s gotta be, with “nectar” and an exotic word like “agave” in the name), could it too be different than other sugars. No. A recent study found that while stuff like honey, molasses, and maple syrup all contain significant amounts of antioxidants that potentially mitigate the metabolic damage wrought by the sugar therein, agave nectar – along with refined sugar and corn syrup – has almost none. Even raw cane sugar beat agave nectar out in the antioxidant category.

Verdict: Not Primal.

Soy Lecithin

Many of your favorite darkest chocolates contain soy lecithin as an emulsifier, promoting smoothness and a luscious mouthfeel (whatever that means). Dark chocolate? Great. Anything with “soy” in it? Bad, or so we have been conditioned to react. But is it?

In a previous Dear Mark, I made the case that a little soy lecithin in your chocolate is nothing to worry about, even going so far as to mention the choline content as a benefit. Since the influx of questions on soy lecithin, however, I’ve revisited my stance and found some new evidence. It seems that across a whole host of soy products, soy lecithin was the most estrogenic (though estrogenic activity was found in almost all foods tested, even non-soy ones). And in “frozen rat spermatozoa,” soy lecithin – but not egg yolk (another source of choline) – interfered with mitochondrial function. Contrary to my previous assertion that soy lecithin cannot trigger soy allergy in allergic people, another study found that soy lecithin could contain “hidden soy allergens.”

I would caution any soy-sensitive individuals to stay away from soy lecithin, just to be safe. If you’re worried about missing out on a great dark chocolate, plenty of legit brands contain no soy whatsoever. Just check your labels. I would also suggest that any chocolate eaters with unexplained unpleasant symptoms make sure the chocolate they favor contains no soy lecithin, and try switching to a soy-free brand for a month. If you feel better, you might implement soy lecithin avoidance as a general rule.

Verdict: Not Primal, but small amounts in occasional chocolate shouldn’t be too bad for most people.

Coconut Aminos

Coconut aminos are the soy sauce replacement du jour, a gluten-free, soy-free combination of aged coconut sap and sea salt that tastes somewhat like soy sauce. It’s not an exact match, but it’s not really trying to be an exact match. Coconut aminos are their own beasts, and these happen to be tasty beasts.

That said, there’s nothing really remarkable or magical about them. Its purveyors like to talk about the presence of 17 amino acids, but so what? Trace amounts of certain amino acids in a sauce that you’ll consume by the tablespoonful probably aren’t going to amount to much of anything. Consume it for the unique taste and the lack of soy and wheat.

Verdict: Primal.

Tapioca

I’ve covered tapioca flour in a previous Dear Mark post, in which I gave it a relatively clean bill of health. Tapioca is simply purified cassava starch, with basically everything else removed. My original pronouncement hasn’t changed much. It’s fine as far as starches go, if you’re active and using the carbs. I would’t go overboard with it, especially if it comes in pudding or boba tea form, but it’s definitely a “safe starch.”

The major downside is that it’s just starch. It’s extremely low in anti-nutrients, sure, but it contains almost no nutrients, either. The biggest claims to fame of a cup of the stuff are 2% of the RDI for folate and 2.4 mg of iron. It won’t do you much harm, but it won’t do you much good, unless all you’re after is glucose.

Verdict: Primal.

Animal Skin

I almost didn’t include this one, because I figured it was a no-brainer, but then I figured that if several people are asking about the suitability of animal skin on a Primal eating regimen, it’s likely that a lot of people are avoiding it just to be safe. I think that’s a tragedy, and I aim to rectify and prevent it.

Animal skin is fantastic. In the past, I’ve discussed my love for sockeye salmon skin (bacon) and roasted chicken skin, but not everyone shares my enthusiasm. At restaurants, I often see people delicately remove chicken skin with polite disgust on their faces. At my local seafood market, I’ll often ask the guys behind the counter to save me the Pacific salmon skin that people have removed. I think they’re nuts for doing it, but I’m happy to take advantage of their mistakes.

Although I wouldn’t recommend eating charred, crispy animal skin every day of the week (although braised, gently-cooked animal skin is fine all the time), animal skin in and of itself is highly nutritious. Salmon skin is high in omega-3s. Other animal skin is high in animal fat, plus collagen and gelatin, which are excellent for joints, nails, hair, and skin while providing a nice counterbalance to a regular intake of muscle meat. As long as the animal in question was healthy and fed a good diet, I would never shy away from a serving of animal skin.

Verdict: Highly Primal. If you’re not eating it, send it to me.

Quorn

Until today, I’d always assumed that Quorn was a mock meat derived from corn, a grain. That makes perfect sense, right? I mean, it sounds like “corn.” Now that I realize it’s a mock meat derived from a fungus, I feel betrayed. I suppose I understand the decision – Fusarium venenatum doesn’t really have a ring to it – but it’s not really the origin of the stuff that turns me off (although that doesn’t help). It’s the fact that Quorn (do I have to capitalize that?) is fake meat, and people are presumably eating it despite the presence of actual, real, delicious, nutritious meat.

Vegetarians? Any vegetarian who chooses Quorn as a protein source over pastured eggs is nuts. Oh, and speaking of nuts, I’d eat nuts for protein before Quorn, too. Vegans? Sure, go ahead and eat your quorn for protein. I’m frankly not all that interested.

Before you fill your chest freezer with Quorn Tenders, Quorn Cumberland Sausages, and Quorn Tikka Masala (all real products, by the way), however, read about the allergic reactions people have had to Quorn. Some sources claim 4.5% of people who eat Quorn get sick, while other sources say just 1/140,000 report adverse reactions. I don’t think it’s a huge risk unless you’re sensitive to molds, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Verdict: Not Primal, but not because it comes from a fungus. Just eat some meat, dude.

That’s it for today, folks. I hope I didn’t crush any dreams or ruin any dinner plans (agave nectar marinated Quorn steaks, served with a soy lecithin-emulsification). I just wanted to keep you honest.

However – there is no mention in this article of alfalfa sprouts and its antinutrient L-canavanine. Loren Cordain recommends to avoid them.
It would be great if you could address this.

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ikaika

5 years 8 months ago

I swear when I pour seeds into the old sprouting jar my mom gave me, and watch things happen magically (just add water!) I just get giddy like a child and think “I’M GONNA EAT SOME TEENSY PLANTS!” Perhaps I should consider L-canavanine… or perhaps I should not 😉

My wife has a great sensitivity to most cruciforms, which give her great intestinal distress. Alfalfa sprouts do the same thing, while “regular” bean sprouts don’t affect her.

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

Broccoli sprouts are the only sprout I quit eating because they smell so bad when sprouting. Maybe I’m sprouting them wrong. Let me know exactly how to do the Broc-sprouts someone.

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Cid

5 years 5 months ago

I sprout Broccoli all the time and it never smells bad… LOL… I rinse twice a day, morning and evening, in a large mason jar. I don’t let the jar get too packed with the little suckers or else I can’t rinse em good. When I rinse… I fill the jar up all the way and then shake it back and forth to wash the little guys off… if the water looks murky, I do it again until it’s clear. (Note: I keep a bucket by my kitchen sink and save the rinse water, then pour it on my plants… Read more »

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alyr

4 years 1 month ago

Soak seeds 6-12 hrs then rinse well. Shake dry-ish. Don’t beat them up just shake well. Now sprout by spreading seeds out in a stainless mesh colander resting over a larger bowl. Rinse 2-3 a day – you can use a watered down Braggs vinegar in the rinsing. Or a sprout wash solution. Available on sprout sites. If you want a vessel to sprout in, they sell them too. Do not soak or sprout in sunny location. As soon as you see a tail appear they have germinated and you can eat. “Cracked seed”.Can take 3 -6 days to harvest… Read more »

Hope its okay to post a link here. If not, feel free to erase this comment.

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PrimalNewborn_M

5 years 8 months ago

“Animal Skin: Highly Primal. If you’re not eating it, send it to me.”

Lol. No way, dude. I love my crispy chicken skin! 😀

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nancy

5 years 8 months ago

Have you tried the crispy skin of a roasted pork? (pork shoulder, aka pernil) Unbelievably delicious!

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Ion Freeman

5 years 8 months ago

I been eating pork rinds and calling them primal. I don’t want to hear different.

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Barrie Templeton`

5 years 8 months ago

When we were kids (waaay back in the ’50s!), we used to wait with anticipation for Sundays, when we often would have a pork roast. The skin was, at that time, left on by most butchers, and that crispy treat was fought over by all of us. Today it’s rare to see a roast that has skin on it. Too bad.
And my wife won’t eat chicken skin -“it’s full of fat”, which she has been convinced is the source of HER fat. *sigh*

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Jo

5 years 8 months ago

I was always brought up on wholesome homemade food and the skin of a roast chicken and the parson’s nose was always fought after – my husband’s family look at me in disgust as I almost salvage it from the trash……so good to hear it’s fantastic stuff – though I never doubted it in the first place

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Violet

5 years 8 months ago

Parson’s nose? Please, what is this?

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Sparrow

5 years 8 months ago

Parson’s Nose?

guess what?
chicken butt!!!

The parson’s nose is the butt-bones of a bird.

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Dave

5 years 3 months ago

My grandmother used to call it the Pope’s Nose. Never heard anyone else ever call it either…

What is primal? I thought this site was about eating like our pre-agricultural ancestors ate. Did they spout seeds to eat them, or did they, maybe eat some sprouting plants? Soy wasn’t even considered a food until about 1200 years ago, after the Chinese learned to ferment it. What did the hunter-gatherer people eat? The ones that were documented by anthropologists of the 19th and early 20th Century. Can we eat that way? Probably, but it wouldn’t be easy. It seems MDA takes a pragmatic approach to “primal eating,” that is, is the food in question better or worse, all… Read more »

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Finnegans Wake

5 years 8 months ago

“I thought this site was about eating like our pre-agricultural ancestors ate.”

More a starting point than a strict dilineation. PB allows or advocates eating quite a few modern foods, e.g. dark chocolate, because even though we evolved to eat some foods and not others, we live in the modern world, so determinations need to be made unless one is committed to restrictive eating.

It’s not about re-enactment. Kurt Harris over at Archevore also mentions that just because a food is Neolithic, it doesn’t make it automatically bad. Olives and coconut milk come to mind.

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pam

5 years 8 months ago

i second that it is not about “re-enactment”.

FYI: i read that in the old days, that people (Chinese?) carried seeds on ship & sprout to prevent of scurvy.

regards,

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Barrie Templeton`

5 years 8 months ago

At the risk of getting way off-topic, some in-depth study of ancient Chinese seafaring would be of interest (at least to me.) Scurvy solutions, other than citrus fruits, must have existed for centuries.

@Barrie, I have two scurvy solutions for you, but both were on land. Miner’s lettuce is so named for the white folks stuck in the mountains mining all winter who went nuts on the stuff that natives introduced to them. And in the Arctic, hunters would immediately eat the adrenal glands of their kill. Cool stuff.

I hear you! My friends gawk as I gnaw the ends off drumsticks.
And ribs.
And now I’m getting hungry for crunchies…. 🙂

I try to avoid the bone itself. But the marrow’s usually fair game.

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Maryanne

5 years 8 months ago

I always thought it was nuts that my dad and uncle would sit there and suck on chicken bones. All the cousins and I would sit there snickering, but now I know better! I love the bones of roast chicken, or boiled for broth. My uncle and dad also swallow olives whole (pit and all), and my uncle eats the apple with the seeds. I have much to learn.

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Barrie Templeton`

5 years 8 months ago

I know of people who eat apples whole, too. The seeds do contain cyanide, but apparently in miniscule amounts. Many stone fruits’ seeds, such as peaches, have larger seeds than apples, and their cyanide content (talk about a natural way to limit predation!) is greater.

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Leaf Eating Canivore

4 years 5 days ago

About the olives: wow. I don’t know what kind of olives you eat, but a lot of the varieties I have run across have really pointy (read: gut-perforating) ends to them. Not sure that’s an attractive experience…

I do go after bones and marrow myself, though – LOVE dat Krunchy Kartalage!!!

A couple days ago while trying to catch some fish with my hands in a river I found a wild oyster, or maybe a clam .. some slippery creature in a shell anyhow .. pulled it open and ate it alive. It’s like it was meant to be food. It tasted great, went down super easy, and as I hastily devoured it there was absolutely nothing wrong in my world. I felt like Pacman. I also ate a couple snails and ants. The snails were sort of bland but the ants were like candy. All you have to do is… Read more »

P.S. if you liked Gushers before you made the switch to Primal, I suggest you try ants.

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yoolieboolie

5 years 8 months ago

tee hee hee! I remember my mother telling me how the “candy man” used to sell the kids chocolate covered ants and grasshoppers as they walked to school. I’ve not been brave enough to try it, but take comfort in the fact of a plentiful food source!

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piefrog

5 years 8 months ago

live? don’t they bite?

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Michele

5 years 8 months ago

They are the best live. The acid they use as defense tastes like lemon drops 🙂

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

One bit my tongue just a little earlier today and it didn’t hurt. It was kind of enjoyable.

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Leon

5 years 8 months ago

Carpenter ants taste like lemon pepper. Pinch them in half and eat the abdomen. I learned it at the lobster museum in Bar Harbor. I was the only person in the group who tried them.

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Animanarchy

5 years 6 months ago

My friend on their self defense: “That’s not a very good defense.” Then we ate some.

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Mike F

5 years 8 months ago

As a kid (1st grade if I remember correctly) I got curious and licked the side of a tree covered with ants. My tongue was sore for the next 5 days. Ants bite… literally!

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yoolieboolie

5 years 8 months ago

okay, I’m officially requesting a post on edible insects. BAM!

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ces

5 years 8 months ago

Hahahahahbamhahahaha

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Mikey

5 years 8 months ago

Yes please! And not just wild ones. People who know edible wild plants still garden for efficiency’s sake, and similarly a lot of us could benefit from a discussion of growing our own bugs. Growing mealworms, earthworms, and others takes much less space and work than even chickens do- much less beef. Bug food (generally free) + very little work or space = delicious, nutritious food!

While I was digging in the yard I discovered I am being overrun by snails. Lightbulb! I am now looking into “snail ranching.” Basically, you trap the live snails, feed ’em lettuce for a week to pass any pesticides through, fast them for another week to clean out their gut and BAM! They are ready for a quick steam and some garlic butter. I will let you know how it turns out…

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

An easy way to trap ants is to mix a little bit of apple sauce with water and leave the jar slightly open. Then you can present the ant with a stick. It grabs onto it, thinking that it’s being saved. I discovered this by accident.

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ikaika

5 years 8 months ago

Ooooh the green ants in North Queensland, Australia are the best. Super Zesty!

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Animanarchy

4 years 1 month ago

This comment was edited by someone. What I originally said was, “If you liked Gushers as a kid, I suggest you try ants”. I find the editing somewhat appalling. I guess it’s done with good intentions but it’s hampering free speech. I don’t want to be misrepresented. I finally got to peruse The Primal Blueprint that I requested this library to order in a long time ago (can’t take it out without ID) and I didn’t know Mark made material from the book into posts verbatim. I don’t see anything wrong with that but I thought all the posts were… Read more »

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Animanarchy

4 years 1 month ago

Or maybe I did that editing by myself before posting. I don’t know. Memories can be hazy when you drop in and out of the alterverse.
Also, maybe what I thought came from the book to the blog came from the blog to the book. I could check dates on posts, however I am too occupied.

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George

5 years 8 months ago

Eating raw snails and raw freshwater shellfish is extremely unwise. They are used as intermediate hosts for a slew of helminth parasites, many of which do infect humans. Mammals and birds eat the snails or shellfish and become infected with the worms. Once the worms reach maturity in these final hosts, the host may defecate in the water, contaminating it. Young worms seek out and infect snails, shellfish, etc. where the cycle continues.

Cook your meat — man discovered fire for a reason.

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

Symbiotes

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George

5 years 8 months ago

If you consider tapeworms, flukes and roundworms symbiotes, not only are you factually wrong but you have issues.

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Barry

5 years 8 months ago

Symbiotes cause no harm to the host. Parasites cause a lot and in the case of tapeworms and other helminths, they can end up in your brain or spinal cord, cause cysts and inflamation. Occasionally they cause death, but often long term or even permanent disability.

I don’t see why it is wrong to eat raw snails and shellfish? Maybe for the few freshwater shellfish that are dangerous or certain species of snail, that are very dangerous. Have you ever eaten raw freshwater mussels and/or clams, amazingly delicous. As for the snails, there is a French dish that is like escargot but is raw and I think alive. I haven’t tried that but I’ve heard it’s good.

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Michael

5 years 8 months ago

And George, man found and discovered the use of fire by accident. They used it as protection against animals like predators. Also, to light the camp and possibly make tools and weapons.

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

Mark has said that he loves raw oysters.

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Milemom

5 years 8 months ago

Have fun with that.

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Annie Sires

5 years 8 months ago

Eating a river shellfish is a possible way to get sick. That’s why it’s recommended to not eat ocean shellfish in the months that end in r. That you walked away is good, wouldn’t suggest it again.

While we can approximate our ancestors lifestyle, we don’t want to imitate it exactly as they died in their 40’s from things like infection and we want to stay away from that.

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

I admire people like you. So primal. I hope someday that I may aspire to be that primal and eat everything raw, wet, and wild. Hopefully it will be my choice and not forced upon me by the times. Right now I’m dealing with a bit of a repulsive factor thinking about eating raw snails, unknown oysters, and crunchy ants. I have eaten raw meat (beef), and swallowed raw egg yolks (easy). Raw meat does not taste at all the same as cooked. Totally different flavor. I hope to learn more raw food eating, always better than organic, of course.

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

I tried raw salmon once and it almost tasted the same as when it’s cooked.

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Leaf Eating Canivore

4 years 4 days ago

Salmon, like other anadromous fish (migrates between fresh and salt waters), can carry nasty parasitic worms, and should only be eaten raw if it has been previously frozen to 0 F or below for several weeks to kill the lurkers. Or it should be cooked through. Salting and /or hard smoking will usually do the job as well. Ditto with the rest of the freshwater fish. Also watch out for Red Tide contamination in ocean filter-feeders – it will kill you. You can’t cook this one to safety. And as far as oysters and other shellfish are concerned, beware of… Read more »

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jinushaun

5 years 8 months ago

Seriously, people. Skin is delicious. That’s the best part of eating chicken. It’s like the creamy filling in Oreos.

I definitely have noticed that I often feel headachy, stomach crampy, or both, after eating chocolate with soy lecithin in it. Some of my fav high quality chocolates have it. I now flip through the racks of chocolate bars at whole foods, frustratingly looking for the soy-less options (answer: not many, and some of the ones that I do find end up getting discontinued within a month or so). Sometimes I break down and get some chocolate with soy in it, if its the only option, but if i eat more than a square I regret it >.<

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Carrie

5 years 8 months ago

Lindt 85% does not have soy lecithin in it. It’s my go-to chocolate and cheap (2 for $5) at my local grocery store.

The Lindt 85% and 90% both say “may contain traces of…soy lecithin.” I’m not sure what ‘traces’ means quantitatively, but I’d say it’s in there. Is it enough that it matters? Dunno. Am I still going to eat some Lindt 90% tonight? Yes. But I might look for some other chocolate options too. Amyone know if Green and Blacks does a 90%

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Ian

5 years 8 months ago

Usually it means somewhere in the factory there is a production line that uses it.

Either that or “We cannot guarantee that one of the workers didn’t have X for lunch and washed their hands properly afterwards.”

‘Traces’ generally just means it is produced on the same machinery or in the same area as the products that contain soy lecithin, so it’s probable that some has transferred into the product. They have to include that on the label to alert those who may have serious allergies. You’ll often see ‘may contain traces of peanuts’ on chocolate as well, but that doesn’t mean it’s filled with peanuts… just that it probably got some peanut dust on it.

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TaliaK

5 years 8 months ago

It’s probably processed on the same equipment as the versions which do contain soy lectithin. So, they have to state that because some might sneak in there even if the equipment is cleaned. That’s my guess.

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Grokwatcher

5 years 8 months ago

Don’t know about 90 but Green & Black’s has an 85% dark and it does not have soy lecithin.

I used to be a big fan of the lindt 90% due it’s soy-free status, but it’s processed with alkali, so I don’t do that anymore, either. Raw cacao does it for me, and if you need candy, there are dark chocolate bars out there not alkali processed and soy free if you look.

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carebear

5 years 8 months ago

I found their 90% cocoa and its amazing as well!

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Ursula

5 years 8 months ago

Lindt puts barley malt into most of their chocolates…… which has gluten. It makes me sick, because I am gluten intolerant.

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toaster for sale

5 years 8 months ago

Does baking chocolate have soy in it? I know cocoa powder doesn’t.

You may have to make your own chocolate bars. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a recipe on here somewhere.

Coconut butter, Cacao powder, & honey. . . that’s all you need to make chocolate bars. I just dump it together over medium heat until it tastes like I want it to. . . spread it out into a pan lined with parchment and chill in the freezer until firm. Break, eat, yum! You can make almond butter cups this way too. . . line a mini muffin pan, put chocolate in bottom, freeze until firm, dollop in some almond butter (can sweeten with honey if needed) and top with more chocolate, freeze until firm. Love it!

I do this too. ¼ cup coconut oil, 3 tbsp cocoa powder. The amount of honey/stevia/xylitol is up to you. You can throw in some grated coconut, any kind of nuts, whatever you want.

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MMO

5 years 8 months ago

THANKS!!! Do you have suggestions on proportions? particularly between the coconut butter (coconut oil?) and cacao powder? I realize the honey is probably ‘to taste’ but would imagine the other two have some sort of ‘optimal proportion’?

For every 4-5 Tbs of coconut cream/butter (1/4 cup ish) I add 2-3 Tbs cacao powder and honey to taste. Balanced Bites recommends adding some almond flour as well. . . I don’t have the link, but I’m pretty sure it’s on the site. The Well Fed Homestead recommends making chocolate using unsweetened baking chocolate (8oz) to 2 Tbs coconut oil, 1 cup honey, some vanilla and a dash of sea salt. . .

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jake3_14

5 years 8 months ago

I know what coconut cream is; I can buy it in an Asian grocery store. What is coconut butter?

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Seth

5 years 8 months ago

OMG!!! These are getting made post haste.

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

Primal candy: melt and layer (or combine) any of the following ingredients:
Cacao Powder
Cacao Butter
Real cow butter
Coconut oil
Coconut flakes
Nuts and dried fruit
Sweetener of choice
Spread out on a large baking sheet for “bark” or in deeper pans for “chunks”.
I get some of my ingredients from Wilderness Family Naturals.

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raw grokette

5 years 8 months ago

I like Nibmor, which makes a Raw Vegan chocolate bar (although, I’m racking my brain… it may or may not be made with agave – boooo!)
I find that things made for raw vegan diets are usually acceptable for paleo, primal, low carb. (but “regular” vegan, not so much)

TAZA is a Mexican-style stone-ground chocolate company from Massachusetts that usually has 3 ingredients total in it, depending on the flavor. They have ones lice cinnamon, orange, salt and pepper (!!!), ginger, chipotle… but they also have an 87% dark bar that uses beans sourced from Bolivia that taste INCREDIBLE. They’re dairy free, soy free, gluten free… SUPERDELICIOUS… (i swear I am uninvolved with that company and don’t get kickbacks, I just really REALLY love their chocolate and, given my job, have seen a LOT of chocolate)

Even if some posts seem repetitive or follow the same theme, I’m amazed at Mark’s ability to churn out new material daily after writing so many posts. I always enjoy reading the new posts even if I don’t learn anything, though I usually do, or have something to ponder or at least exercise my intellectual faculties. Good job Mark!

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Pirate Jenny

5 years 8 months ago

Thanks Mark – funnily enough I was wondering about where sprouts ‘sit’ in the pantheon of paleo…

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BootstrapsOnMyFivefingers

5 years 8 months ago

My husband was listening to a report, probably on NPR, saying that rotisserie chicken skin was one of the worst in terms of carcinogens (due to the long cooking times). I occasionally buy one in a pinch and having been using what’s left of the bird to make bone broth. Carcinogenic or not?

Lindt makes a great soy lethicin-free dark chocolate bar.

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yoolieboolie

5 years 8 months ago

you still have to check the label. their 70% has soy l., while their 85% does not. That’s all I’ve been privy to as far as their dark chocolate.

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Paleo Bon Rurgundy

5 years 8 months ago

I understand the concept of carcinogens in smoked foods and I have yet to see any specific data on the topic.

With that said my current mind set is the process of smoking foods is okay, perhaps even beneficial (hormesis).

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dragonmamma

5 years 8 months ago

For you chocoholics avoiding all soy, reread the labels on your Dagoba chocolate products. As I was buying a gluten-free chocolate-covered goodie at the farmer’s market, the vender told me he needed to find a new source of chocolate, because they changed their ingredients and now include soy lecithin.

does that mean that maple syrup is ok? I’ve been asking about it in the comments the past few weeks.

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Nicole

5 years 8 months ago

Maple syrup has a favorable glucose/fructose ratio (i.e. more glucose than fructose), better than honey and much better than agave. It’s still sugar, though, so moderation is key.

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

After I ate the pancakes, I learned: that my mother-in-law ran low on maple syrup…so she added HFCS to the bit of Maple syrup…Uggghhhhhhh! It’s hard to have friends and potlucks at the same time. I don’t trust Mum anymore…and she knows it. But she’s 94 and doesn’t care what she eats now. And doesn’t want to learn. But she does sprout!

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Trevor

5 years 8 months ago

First of all, is it real maply syrup and not HFCS with maple flavoring? Even if it’s real, it’s not primal. Added sugar never is (though it could be a sensible indulgence if you use it in moderation).

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JulieD

5 years 8 months ago

My acupuncturist says Grade B Maple Syrup is better than Grade A. Grade B is from the first tapping and contains more minerals than Grade A.

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Annie Sires

5 years 8 months ago

Your acupuncturist is wrong, Tapping maples is tapping. The sap of the sugar maple rises, as do all trees, in early spring/late winter. That is when you tap the trees. There is no difference. Grades are made by density and translucency, not mineral content. The sap is boiled to Grade A light Amber, then Amber then Dark Amber. Then It’s boiled longer and then you get grade B and even longer to get Grade C.

That’s it.

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

Tapping trees? That’s a little too primal..

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Joseph S.

5 years 8 months ago

Maple syrup and molasses are my go to sweeteners. I just add a little bit to my yogurt or drinks for taste.

It is the juice of the vegetables, sans the fiber and crunchy goodness that them taste so yummy. 600 mg of salt is a lot. It’s about a half a teaspoon, in less than 12 ounces of fluid. And it’s mostly sugar (14 gms) compared to the listings for the whole vegetable (tomato for instance, has 7 mg of sodium and 6 carbs in 147 gm tomato).

My rule is that if it’s made by a company and processed, it’s generally not good for you.

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Kk

5 years 8 months ago

It’s a GMO product. Stay away from that one, juice your own or vitamix your veggies and get ALL the nutrients.

Mmm, chicken skin. I had a longtime aversion to it, because my mom always fed us a “healthy” CW diet and we rarely had chicken with the skin on. I used to think it was greasy and it made my stomach turn, but now I’m learning to like it.

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shrimp4me

4 years 3 months ago

Never could tolerate the texture so I avoid it.

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Marc

5 years 8 months ago

I just checked, nice to see that my favorite chocolate,Green and Black’s 85% dark, has no lecithin.

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michelle

5 years 8 months ago

Awesome, that’s my favorite too!

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sweetfancymoses!

5 years 8 months ago

Thats a shame, it must be a different recipe in AU because mine definitely has Soy Lecithin in it :-[

I was in the hospital the other night (I thought someone dosed me with acid.. I think maybe I just indulged too much in my own treats).. anyways blood and urine tests were done, I was hooked up to an IV for a while, and though I didn’t ask for specifics, apparently my test results show nothing to worry about. Stunning based on what I’ve been through. I could hear the medical staff in the next room talking and picked out a few phrases. I can’t be sure they were talking about me but they said the following. “He has… Read more »

couldn’t agree more! my sustenance on road trips is the beloved chicharrones! I kind of wish my family would embrace them too, but kind of glad to have them to myself!

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Cherly

5 years 8 months ago

Pernil and Chicharrones are my favorite! I love the crispy pernil skin!

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jules

5 years 8 months ago

I too used to love pork rinds, but thinking the pre-made kind (ie: Lowry’s, “Baken-ettes”) AREN’T primal? Aren’t they fried in vegetable/seed oil?

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Isabel

5 years 8 months ago

I used to love the pre-made kind as a kid. However, ours aren’t only fried in vegetable oil, they also contain every other kind of crap like dextrose and a bazillion preservatives.

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Barry

5 years 8 months ago

I was in Mexico a few years ago and at a village party they had chicharones. I distinctly remember being offered a piece by a toddler who had been mouthing it for most of the party. It made chicharones even less desirable than they already are 😉

Okay, in the category of thickeners I am curious about xanthan gum. I have read that it’s derived from the fungus that grows on (likely GMO) corn in lab conditions. That was enough to get me to toss the little baggie I got from the CoOp bulk section, but not enough to get me to toss my huge bottle of Cholula (eggs without hot sauce only happens when eating out!) Also, I’ve been researching starchy thickeners and from what I’ve found I’m sticking to Arrowroot powder (for the rare birthday almond flour cake and whatnot). Like tapioca powder, it is… Read more »

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Eric

5 years 8 months ago

Xanthan gum is a bacterial product. Glucose from corn is usually involved in the process, but some manufacturers do not use corn. The final product should not contain any corn product. From what I’ve read, most people with corn allergies don’t have reactions to xanthan gum. I never worried about it since the amount I would ingest in any given year, even before going primal, is next to nothing.

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Paleo Bon Rurgundy

5 years 8 months ago

Ager ager is an emulsifier derived from seaweed.

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Paleo Bon Rurgundy

5 years 8 months ago

Excuse me, agar.

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yoolieboolie

5 years 8 months ago

Thanks Bon, I’ll check it out. How’s the gun show?

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toaster for sale

5 years 8 months ago

There is pork skin available at my local grocery store. But I have no idea how to cook it. I tried frying it chicharron-style (I thought it would be crispy), but ended up giving it to the dog to play with. I could have tiled a roof with the result.

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yoolieboolie

5 years 8 months ago

I believe it is cooked off in a slow oven, a remnant of rending lard.

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Eric

5 years 8 months ago

If you want commercial-style pork rinds, It’s a slow process that involves boiling the skin until tender, then drying it out, and then deep frying it. You can read about the process at http://www.tstastybits.com/2011/11/how-to-make-chicharron/. You can speed up the process with a pressure cooker and a food dehydrator. If you don’t want to go through all that mess, just cut the skins and lay them out on a sheet for and bake for about 3 hours at 250 degrees F. Let cool, and then fry until they puff. They will be a little tougher, but I like that a bit… Read more »

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Matt

5 years 8 months ago

I love animal skin, my faovorite thing about getting chicken is getting that skin crispy. Fish skin is good to..

I’m getting sick of Quorn, 2 hours after eating, I get so nauseous that every thing comes out, every thing. It stops when my stomach is empty. And it hurts a lot, a lot more then when I’ve to throw up because having the flu for example. I will never never eat it once again!

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Garth

5 years 8 months ago

Ignoring the source of quorn for a few minutes (hard ask for some I know…), like most foods (5% or so of Americans are supposedly allergic to turkey) there is often a small percentage of the population that are allergic to a specific food type Maybe you are allergic to mold 🙂

To be fair quorn is very popular in europe and is a common ingredient at our office restaurant for at least one of the meal options. Never heared of anyone having a problem.

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shrimp4me

4 years 3 months ago

Most of the Quorn products contain wheat. I have used the roast-style for several years which doesn’t; maybe 3 years ago they changed the formula and added gluten. I sent a nastygram to England; lots of other people must have, too, b/c it was reformulated AGAIN w/o the gluten.
Once the loaf in my freezer from my last vegetarian go-round is gone I won’t be buying any more–bring on the chicken!!!

Neat post, fun to read, well-written, helpful, funny…all good stuff. I’ve been loving salmon skin a long time now, and thinking of all those years I took it off. Some primal-ish food company should fry or bake or otherwise dry and slightly season (or not) salmon skins, make ’em into crispy-chewy chips, and not wreck ’em with weirdo ingredients.

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Leaf Eating Canivore

4 years 4 days ago

Somebody does up here in Alaska – product called “Yummie Chummies”, made for dogs out of the leftovers of a fish long considered by the locals to be fit only for dogs, the “dog” or “Chum” salmon, now renamed the “Keta Salmon” to sell to human pieholes.

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Primal Pants

5 years 8 months ago

“Quorn” WTF??? Sounds…er…no thanks. Silly vegetarians…what kind of “fake meat” will they come out with next??? The thing that grosses me out is seitan…PURE WHEAT GLUTEN in the shape of meat…GROSS!!!

Maple syrup is fine in moderation as long as it is the REAL stuff! I got mine from a shop in New Hampshire where their family has been making it for over a hundred years. Our neighbor even tried to tap our maple trees to make some. Totally Primal on your Primal pancakes with some fresh berries! MMMMMMmmmmmm..

Once I ate seitan “scallops” and they sat like a ball of lead in my stomach. Never again!

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simon

5 years 8 months ago

who the h*ll wouldn’t eat animal skin, especially on a primal diet??? that was just a jaw dropping. mind numbing thing to read. it amazes me how much lack of common people have with regard to food. it’s our culture. nowhere else in the world are people so alienated from the things they eat as Americans are. thank you capitalism, for whelping generations of food zombies. ugh.

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Merry

5 years 8 months ago

hey-food zombie here-BUT since finding Mark a few weeks ago, the blood is coming back!! I was raised alll wrong but with well-meaning parents. NOW, I am able to introduce my husband and my 16- and 18-year-old kids to REAL life-sustaing food! Mark, you are invaluable! Thank you for all you do! I hope to be diabetes-free in the near future. Keeping my less-zombie-than-last-week fingers crossed!

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xena

5 years 8 months ago

Wait–I just bought non-GMO soy lecithin to supplement choline sinc I eat a 70%-80% fat diet. I eat lots of egg yolks, but I worried that wasnt enough. How many egg yolks per week do I need to get enough choline to balance all the fat I’m eating?

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Primal Pants

5 years 8 months ago

I’m making grilled salmon tonight…gonna try the skin this time! 🙂

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cz

5 years 8 months ago

i keep reading about how dark chicken meat and chicken skin are very high in PUFA’s, so not to indulge too much. sigh. i try not to have it more than every two weeks, but that makes me sad. when i do eat it, i feel guilty, like i’m harming myself! any thoughts?

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Kim Lindsey

5 years 8 months ago

I have also been concerned about omega 6 fatty acids in chicken, chicken fat, and chicken skin. As a result, I stopped saving using chicken fat to use for other purposes, but I didn’t quit eating chicken or chicken skin yet. Like you, eating chicken skin makes me feel a little guilty. I think the solution is plenty of fatty fish and omega-3 supplementation to compensate.

Wow, I had no idea that agave nectar was so bad. It’s been touted so highly in so many places that I took it to be a good replacement for sugar.

Also, I want to say that Coconut Aminos are a great substitute for soy sauce and I swear by them. Also, it’s good to know that tapioca isn’t as bad as I feared.

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Lars T.

5 years 8 months ago

Coconut Aminos with Sushi… Not primal!

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Paleo Bon Rurgundy

5 years 8 months ago

I’d think it would be if it was sashimi.

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

“Coconut Aminos with Sushi… Not primal!”

I ask…why not? Please add the facts to your statement. I really don’t know. And I imagine there are others who don’t know, either.

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shrimp4me

4 years 3 months ago

Rice in the sushi–sashimi doesn’t use the rice

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Heidi Coons

5 years 8 months ago

Salmon skin? What do you do with the fish scales? Eat those too? Hubby and I recently had blackened cajun salmon over the weekend and the recipsaid to remove skin. I found fish scales still sticking to me the following morning, even after I had washed my hands and arms. No wonder fish scales are used in lip stick!

Once you scrape off the scales (or have someone do it for you), fish skin is smooth and kind of buttery.

I grilled up some haddock yesterday. Of course, I was the only one in the family to eat the skin. No scales present!

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Barbara

5 years 8 months ago

Found this site for home made pork scratchings (British pork rinds). If you cut them bite size before rendering, they come out crispy and tasty. The lard that remains is just like the lard my grandmother made and is wonderful for cooking.

Why include a jab at “mouthfeel” in an otherwise well-reasoned post? You know exactly what mouthfeel is. It is a compound word, so I won’t bother defining it here… but seriously… it is a cornerstone of understanding the process food goes through when going through humans and why&how we respond differently to different foods. It ells you if a fruit or vegetable or meat has gone bad… it tells you if it was cooked by a savant or a fool. &so on.

Love the work, keep it up- I’ll just keepkeeping you honest.

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NeanderthalPride

5 years 8 months ago

you know I’ve not heard of Quorn until this article … seriously? not primal? I have been living on bacon and mushrooms since I started eating primal, there’s no reason I can’t have quorn with meat, is there?? as soon as you said fungus and protein I was interested. 😀

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shrimp4me

4 years 3 months ago

It’s very expensive for the protein you get–I only bought it when it was on special

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Nannsi

5 years 8 months ago

Be careful of tapioca flour if you’re latex allergic. There are cases of documented cross-reactivity, some pretty serious. I am latex allergic, and back in the day when I was mixing my own GF flour mixes, some puffed out of the bag and I inhaled it. I sneezed for three hours and broke out in a rash. Can’t be good for my poor celiac gut. Haven’t used it since, and I avoid it when it’s in ingredient labels.

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Kris

5 years 8 months ago

Yup, tapioca can also exhibit gluten cross-reactivity traits. I have far worse symptoms consuming something with tapioca than wheat. Could never figure out why the GF sub foods never agreed with me!

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shrimp4me

4 years 3 months ago

Will have to remember this; will start out w/ tapioca in small amounts. You never know what’s gonna getcha; found out the hard way that I am much more allergic to millet than to wheat.

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asia

5 years 8 months ago

i have a question, and please don’t make fun of me for it. i was vegetarian; i believed the philosophy for 15 years till i got very sick. then i had my first organic beef burger, and by the second burger, i was almost shaking with energy. i want to follow a more primal diet. but i can’t get anything more down my gullet, but white chicken (which i can finally prepare w/o getting sick) or turkey meat, grass fed ground beef, and an occasional wild caught salmon. because i have a severe allergy to eggs and dairy, my protein… Read more »

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Emily

5 years 8 months ago

Could you try some crockpot recipes? At our grocery store you can buy free-range, all-natural chicken breasts in a bag. Buying them this way, you could just throw the chicken breasts in a crockpot with veggies and let it cook. You’d barely have to handle it at all. I like to throw a couple chicken breasts in a crockpot with a can or two of Rotel and let it cook for about 6 hours on high. Once you stir it, the chicken will shred and you can serve it over salad with some guacamole. No cutting and minimal handling of… Read more »

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oxide

5 years 8 months ago

Organs gross me out a little too, so don’t worry, no making fun here! 🙂

You can ask the farmer or the store to prepare the meat for you, so that it contains only flesh but no bones or skin. Stew meat is ready-to-cook chunks of stuff. Can you handle boneless steak?

Try canned tuna, where it’s already prepared for you. You can also buy boneless canned salmon.

The preparation will make the meat more expensive, but it will be easier for you.

First, try googling protein and pregnancy – lots of first-trimester ladies have raw meat aversions, so there should be tips on overcoming them there. Also I know that the woman who runs the GAPS Guide website was in a similar boat but NEEDED to eat the bones/skin/cartiledge for her gut-healing protocol. She has found that as her body adapts to a simple, nutritious diet, it is more willing to accept what her brain wants to give it (as long as her brain lets her body lead, she’s fine). Ruminant liver doesn’t look like flesh (because it’s not) and can be… Read more »

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shrimp4me

4 years 3 months ago

Flashback—had that SERIOUS raw meat aversion during first pregnancy. Second one was better but still a problem.

I’ve always had a REALLY hard time with raw meat as well. . . but, I’ve found the more I read about the health benefits, the more I pay attention to the kind of meat (grassfed, organic), the easier it is for me to stomach the preparation. It’s a reprogramming of your brain! Some foods I can’t (or won’t) reprogram for, like the Medifast diet I once upon a time tried and got very sick from (it’s all soy!). Start with simple things. . . I used to cook chicken breasts only from the frozen state, now I can dress… Read more »

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Animanarchy

5 years 8 months ago

Broth, it’s like an extraction.

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Sabrina

5 years 8 months ago

Bone broth is the best way to get some incredible nutrients into you. Have a friend or family member make you a couple of big batches a month and drink it as it is, or as a base for soups and sauces. It freezes well in small portions.

I can understand how you feel. Although I’ve never been a vegetarian, I cannot somach organ meats, chew on bones etc. I come from a culture where skin is never consumed, so even that was an aqcuired taste for me, but now I love it as long as it’s crispy!

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

I’ve read about other vegetarian & vegan people who had the same problem. I’m not a nutritionist nor psychologist, but I’d suspect that after so many years of programming yourself to abhor meat…it’s difficult to deprogram. I would suggest you that really go for the gusto: visit a farm and start from the beginning…learn to kill and dress-out your own food. Do this several times. It’s okay if you puke. But don’t stop until you can eat that meat. I used to have a problem just looking at a dead animal carcass. Then I moved to a farm, and couldn’t… Read more »

I’d be interested in your thoughts on maple syrup. You touched on it, but didn’t really dive in. I think that would be really interesting.

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Susan

5 years 8 months ago

I’m not a hipster, err… I don’t know, maybe I am, because I don’t really know exactly what that entails… Anyway, we switched to Coconut Aminos because its gluten-free and soy-free, not because its trendy. We loved tamari sauce and teriyaki but when we simultaneously found out our kids are sensitive to soy AND learned about primal eating, we searched for an alternative. We found coconut aminos on the shelf at a local specialty store but had never heard of it before. It was tasty and worked pretty well as a replacement flavoring in our favorite dishes. A few months… Read more »

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Steve

5 years 8 months ago

I’m a bit confused though. Why is it that tequila is a Primal-approved vice (in moderation, obviously); however, agave nector–which is derived from agave like tequila–is not primal?

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Daniel

5 years 8 months ago

“Primal” diets not pursued as a re-enactment society. Primal diets are pursued for the goal of promoting health.

The healthfulness of tequila vs. agave comes down to fructose content. Neither is primal, but tequila contains a tiny fraction of the fructose contained in agave. Tequila, therefore, arguably falls in the category of “sensible vice”.

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

Thanks to this blog I found out just how bad Agave really is. I knew it wasn’t good…but didn’t realize how bad.

I have a concern when we say Agave isn’t primal. Wouldn’t the Mexican/Indian/S. American primal-people have eaten Agave? Doesn’t mean it was good for them…but I suspect that they ate it. Surely not all primitive foods were good for those who ate? Correct me please if I’m wrong.

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Paleo Bon Rurgundy

5 years 8 months ago

My guess it has to do with fermentation. Sugar typical gets consumed by the yeast which poops out alcohol and carbon dioxide.

broccoli sprouts are on my “do NOT eat” list, as the goitrogens are said to be higher in them than in their big brothers.

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gcb

5 years 8 months ago

I’d been wondering about soy lecithin – I already avoid soy generally (in part because of the estrogenicity), but I’d noticed that soy lecithin was in a lot of things like dark chocolate. Nice to know that my concerns were well-founded, although it also means I’m going to need to read labels even more carefully.

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oxide

5 years 8 months ago

Most conventional tea bags have soy licithin too. I now buy tea at the natural food store.

Sad about agave nectar, but happy to be informed! Which is the best sugar substance to lightly add to my morning macchiato?

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Daniel

5 years 8 months ago

Stevia or xylitol.

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JulieD

5 years 8 months ago

I agree with Daniel. Stevia was a bit of an acquired taste for me. I hated it at first, but it has definitely grown on me and my primary tea sweetener. Be careful not to go overboard with the xylitol as some people are sensitive to it. I chew only xylitol gum and use xylitol toothpaste for my kids, but when I added some to my morning shake, it gave me a stomach ache.
Another alternative is straight Glucose. It isn’t as sweet as table sugar or fructose, but MUCH better for you.

I’d try coconut sugar! It’s unrefined, low on the glycemic index, and doesn’t have too many carbs (4g per tsp.) I find that less than a teaspoon of this light, maple-like sugar really tops off my coffee well.

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Anna

5 years 8 months ago

What do you mean by “not too many carbs”? Refined white sugar also has 4g of carb per tsp.

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mars

5 years 8 months ago

I put coconut milk in my coffee…mmm perfect

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Carla

5 years 8 months ago

What brand do you use?

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mars

5 years 8 months ago

Natures Forest (pricey but BPA-free cans) or Golden Star which I store in a glass jar..i love it in coffee, smoothies, soups, sauces..

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Kathryn

5 years 8 months ago

I use coconut oil in my coffee, 1 TBL per cup which counteracts some of the bad part stuff in coffee. If I wanted my coffee or tea sweet, I’d use Coconut Nectar, or Maple Syrup, or Stevia. My husband puts butter in his coffee, or we also use raw heavy cream.

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Christine

5 years 8 months ago

I also had not even heard of Quorn until this post. Sound disgusting. I’m actually hesitant to invite liquid/coconut aminos to the condiment party in my fridge. The seesawing opinions on whether it causes MSG-like effects on the body scare me a little bit. Any way some light could be shed on that?

The number 1 thing I loved about eating the Mark’s Daily Apple way from Primal Blueprint is no longer worrying about taking the skin off chicken. I knew when that was sanctioned, I had no excuses for turning back.